The number of divorces has gone a little bit down in Norway – because if you take care of your family it is better for all the parts. I think it’s better for both men and women.

— Katrine Gjaerum, Norway

Photo by crispypictures/iStock / Getty Images

Women are working really hard and full time, and then they’re trying to be the perfect mother and have the perfect home. There’s a lot of pressure here to have very tidy, very stylishly decorated homes, and all of that takes energy.

— Bronwyn Griffith, Sweden

When you deviate just a little bit from gender roles and gendered behavior...it triggers anxiety and criticism. So you tend to choose the path of least resistance.

— Lynn Roseberry, Denmark

Lynn Roseberry

The Nordic countries have a reputation for equality and excellent work/life balance. American women look enviously at these nations as they scrape together a short maternity leave or finish another 10-hour day.

But here's the paradox: there are just as few women in powerful roles in Scandinavia as there are in the US.

In this show I set out to discover more about life for professional women in the Nordic countries. We have representatives from three of them - Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.